Carton-marking device



Aug. 21, 1928. v E- P. WEBSTER CARTON MARKING DEVICE Filed April 2, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet A\ig;"21, 1928. 1,681,716

E. P. WEBSTER CARTON MARKING DEVICE Filed April 2, 1927 s Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY Patented 2.1, 1928. l

ire, STATE-Si PAIE M or 1,681,716: Fl fE'L-IZ I EARL r. yrs-Berna, or niaearn FALLS, nnw Yonx, Assrenonrro'rnn snnnnnnn WHEAT consent. or NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK,.A CORPORATION OF NEW tons or other like receptacles for the purpose of furnishing identifying data. preferably of a secret character which can be read only by authorized persons who are provided with a key.

In the packing of various productsof commerce in cartons, it is frequently desir able that a. mark be placed on each carton to identify the packer, or to give the date of packing or other information of. that kind. This mark should be not easily interpreted, should be inconspicuous and apparently meaningless, and it is preferable to have the; mark applied without effort or attention on the part of the packer? The presentinventicn is accordingly directed to the provision of .a method and apparatus for the purpose describedwhich is particularly useful in connection with the filling of cartons which have flaps which are closed after the cartons are filled. and the apparatus by which this method can be pracs ticed is one wliiich acts as a support for the carton during the filling operation, thedevice applying a secret marking when the carton is placed in position to be filled.

According" to the new method, spaced lines are placedon each carton packed, and these lines are preferably applied to oneof the carton flaps by a scoring operation. One of these lines serves as a reference line and the other line which is placed at varying distances therefrom, serves to identify the packer. for example. 'Ifdesired, such ref erence lines may beplaced one on each of a pair of opposite flaps of the cartons with an identifying line or lines between them and the marks may conveniently be placed on the flaps while the flaps are in open position during the filling of the carton. .Thereafter, when. the flaps are folded to close the carton in the usual way, the markings are .visible and the data supplied by the marks may be read by means of an interpreting scale.

In one cbnvenient form, the apparatus for inarkingthe cartons may be mounted one. wall of a packing table, against which the cartons rest during the filling operation. The cartons with thflir opposite flaps open are placedv against th s wall by the packer and as the cartons are moved to that position, the flaps on the opposite sides of the a part broken away,

oen'ronmAn-xrne DEVICE.

1927. Serial 1T0. 180,854.

carton .are' actedon by marking devices. which may take the form ofiscoring wheels. When the carton hasbeen filledit iswith drawn from the device. the flaps folded and sealed in the usual manner- Thereafter the: packer who filled any particular carton may be readily identified by means of a'key scale which has points of reference which may be placed to register with the reference lines on the cartons and identifying numbers: placed between the reference lines and cor-r respondingto the numbers of the packers. For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the accompany ing drawings, in which, m Fig. lflisua view in .perspective 0 Fig. 2. is a plan view of. a portion of a. closed carton showing the lines applied byv thedevice, i 'i r Fig. 3 is a plan view of the device with Fig. 4 isa sectional view on the. line ls-4.- ofFig. 3, i m Fig. 5 is a plan view of a portion ofthe, carton. showing the interpreting scale in position, i

.Fig. 6 is a plan view similar to Fig. 3, shpiwing a modified form oflthe'apparatus, ani".@m,

Fig.7 is a sectional view onthe line 7 Of 6- I i Referring now to the drawings, the device is illustrated in the form suitable for applying identifying markings to cartbns made of paste board or other suitable material, similar to that shown at 10, each cart-011i having end flaps 11 of which one only is ing the packing operation. -Eachplate 1.5 V

at its upperend carries a clamping plate 175 by which is held the pintle 18 of a mark: ing device, generally designated 19. The plate 17 is providedwith a wing nut 20 and f the apparatus. showing a carton in position,

" 29 as shown.

screw by which it may be forced firmly pintle to hold the latter in posithe cavity and carrying scoring wheels 24 and 25. These scoring wheels are freely rotatable 0n pin 23 and are placed indifferent positions along the pin with spacing sleeves 26 holding the wheels in adjusted position. Thebody portion 21 has an extending guide plate 27 projecting beyond one edge of the cavity 22 and also carries a bearing plate 28 extending partially over. the top of the cavity, and with its lower surface lying close to the teeth of the scoring wheels. These plates are heldin position by screws The plates 27 and 28- provide a slot between them by which a carton flap may be directed to the scoringwheels.

When a carton 10 is to befilledfits outer flaps 12 are folded to open position and the carton then moved over the table '13 into position between'the flanges 16 ofthe plates 15. In this movement. the flaps12 ride over the plates 27 and each flap passesbetween the scoring Wheels and an upper plate Lines of scoring are now made on the lower surfaces of each flap 12, these surfaces being the outer surfaces of the flap when the flaps are in closed position. When the carton has been packed, itis removed from its position in the supporting apparatus, the end flaps 11 are turned in and the outer flaps 12 are turned in over them, whereupon the lines of scoring are visible as shown in Fig. 2. Thecarton is', now

closed by means of a sealing strip 30 which is placed so as to cover the opposed edges of the two flaps 12. I

The scoring lines which are clearly visible but are apparently without meaning serve as a means of providing identifying data. For example, theselines maybe used to identify the packer who filled the carton. For any such purpose, the outer lines designated 31 serve as reference lines and the lines 32 which are. placed between the reference lines have a variable position which depends on the identifying data to be provided. When the identification is to be made, an interpreting scale 33 isfplaced on the top of the carton, this scale having.

line 31.

scale is used to identify eachvariable line 32 separately, the identification in each instance depending on the spacing of a variable line 32 from its corresponding fixed In the carton illustrated in Fig. 6, the identifying marks 32 may be interpreted to read'35,' one of the lines 32 corresponding to 37in one scale and the other to 5 in the secondscale. sition of thescoring wheels which produce the lines 32, differenticombinations ofdigits maybe secured and by the use of two wheels, diiferentpackers having numbers from 0 to 99 may be identified. i

In the form of the apparatus shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the construction is in general similar to that shown in thepreceding figures, except the upper fixed plate 28 is dispensed with and a plate 34: is employedv which is hinged at 35 to a plate 36 secured By varying the po-.

by screws'at 37 to the body member 21.

On the hinge pin 35 is mounted a presser spring'38- "bearing on top of the plate 34;,

this form of the apparatus permitting cartons of material of diiferent thicknesses to be marked without necessitating a change in the presser plates 28.

It will be seen that the new method pro vides a convenient means: for placing identifying marks on cartons, these marks being clearly visible but apparently meaningless. Thesemarks convey no information to anyone whois not provided with the interpret .ingscale and the application ofthe marks does not injure the appearance of the carton. As the marks'are appliedautomatically when the carton is placed in position to be filled, the packing operation is not interfered with and the application of these marks in no way reduces the speed of the packers. y

The new apparatus is of simple construction, readily adjustable so as to provide for a Wide range of identifying marks, and not likely, to get out of order or to become worn in use. While the method and apparatus have been illustrated and described as useful in applying markings by which the carton packer may be identified, it is apparentthat this method may be similarly employed for indicating the date on which the carton was filled, the quality of the goods placed in the carton, and .various otherdata of that character.

I claim: 1. A method of marking a group of cartons for identification, which comprises.

placing a visible but apparently meaningless mark on a flap of eachcarton to serve as a point of reference, and simultaneously placing another similar mark on a flap at a distance from the first marking, the spacing of the marks being variable and dependent on the data to be provided thereby.

2. A method of marking a group of cartons having fiapsfor purposes of identification, which comprises placing a pair of visible but apparently meaningless marks one on each of a pair of flaps of each carton, these marks having a fixed spacing when the flaps are in their normal closed position and serving as lines of reference, and placing marks on each of the flaps to lie between the first pair of marks when the flaps are in closed position, the second pair of marks having different relative positions with reference to the fixed marks depending on the data to be provided thereby.

3. A method of marking a group of cartons having flaps for purposes of identification, which comprises placing a mark on'each of a pair of opposite flaps of each carton while these flaps are in open position, the marks being so placed as to lie at a fixed distance apart when the flaps are in closed position, and serving as lines of reference, and placing a mark on one of the flaps while this flap is in open position, this mark lying spaced from one of the reference marks a distance which depends on the data to be furnished 7 5. Apparatus for applying identifying marks to cartons having flaps, whlch comprises a table, supporting means on the table with which the carton maybe engaged, and means carried by the supporting means for receiving the flaps of the carton in their normal open position, and applying identifying marks to these flaps.

6. Apparatus for applying identifying marks to cartons having flaps, which comprises a table,a pair of supports mounted on the table and adapted to receive a carton between them, and means carried by the supports for receiving opposite flaps of the carton in their normal open position and applying identifying marks to these flaps. V

7. Apparatus for applying identifying marks to cartons having flaps, which comprises the combination of a table, a support having a slot at its upper end adapted to receive a carton flap, and means carried by the support for engaging the flap received in the said slot and applying identifying marks thereto.

8. Apparatus for applying identifying marks to cartons having flaps, which co1n prises a table having an end wall, plates mounted on the end wall in spaced position and serving as guides for a carton, and means carried by each plate for receiving a carton flap and applying identifying lines of scoring thereto.

9. Apparatus for applying identifying marks to cartons having flaps, which comprises the combination of a filling table, a pair of plates mounted upright thereon and spaced apart to receive a carton between them, a guide plate secured to each upright plate and serving as a support for a carton flap, means carried by the guide plate for applying identifying marks to the said flap, and a bearing plate above the marking means for holding the flap in position to be marked.

10. Apparatusfor applying identifying marks to cartons having flaps, which comprises the combination of a table, a pair of upright plates mounted thereon in spaced relation to receive a carton between them, a body member carried by each upright plate, a pin in the body, scoring Wheels mounted on the pin, and means carried by the body for receiving a carton flap and directing this flap to a position in which it is scored by the said wheels.

11. Apparatus for applying identifying marks to cartons having flaps, which comprises the combination of a table, body members mounted thereon in spaced relation to receive acarton between them, marking devices adjustably carried in each body member, and means carried by the body member for receiving a carton flap and directing this flap into position to be marked by the said devices.

12. Apparatus for applying identifying marks to cartons having flaps, which comprises the combination of a table, a pair of body members mounted thereon and spaced apart to receive a carton between them, marking devices carried by each body memher, a guide plate for directing a carton flap to the marking devices, and a resilient hearing plate serving to press the carton flaps into engagement with the said marking devices.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature- EARL P. WEBSTER. 

